Author Next Door: A Single Dad Romance

by Casey, Nicole

Chuck

  Six Months Later

  Around three in the afternoon, I arrived at Clarissa’s daycare center to pick her up. It was a cool fall afternoon, and the nearby trees were just starting to turn a beautiful gradient of yellow, orange, and red. The daycare had been swarming with mothers –many of whom had wandering eyes the second I approached the doors– and I had to admit I wasn’t entirely comfortable standing at the pickup gate for longer than necessary.

  “You’re Charles Hill, right?” asked one woman. She pulled out a paperback copy of my latest title, Winter Whispers. “Would you be willing to sign my copy? I’m such a huge fine.”

  I smiled and pulled a pen out of my jacket pocket –packed for situations just like this– and nodded. “I’d be happy to.”

  Some of the other mothers started to gather around, intrigued.

  “I’ve got a copy, too,” said another. “I’m only on the second chapter, but I’m totally hooked.”

  “What made you decide to write a love story, Mr. Hill?” asked the first.

  “The characters are just so real! Do you draw inspiration from real life? Laura feels so real I sometimes think we could be best friends.”

  I chuckled, “You ladies should consider coming to one of my writing workshops. I divulge all my secrets there.”

  Clarissa skipped out through the doors with a brown paper bag decorated in multiple googly eyes, colorful pipe cleaners attached haphazardly for hair, and a mess of glitter glue drawn on in a supposed pattern. She handed me her crafted puppet with pride and beamed.

  “I made this for you, Daddy,” she cheered.

  “Thank you, baby, it’s–” I took a moment to search for the right words. I was an author, dammit. Surely I could find the right adjective. “It’s really cool.”

  “His name is Mr. Snuffles,” she explained in a matter-of-fact tone. “He’s magical.”

  “He’s magical? What kind of magic can he do?” I picked Clarissa up and nodded to the mothers before walking away.

  “All of it,” my daughter explained.

  We walked together for a couple of blocks and wound up at a little kiddie park. There was a set of swings set up on the edge of the play area, and a seesaw directly behind it. A couple of unattended children, probably no more than ten, were busy building a sandcastle in the sandbox on the other side of the jungle gym. Clarissa shot me a confused look.

  “Aren’t we going home, Daddy? Lara said she was going to make us pancakes for dinner.”

  I laughed, content. “We will soon, baby. I just wanted to take a moment to talk to you.”

  I placed Clarissa down on one of the swings and got behind her to push. She swung her legs to help gather up momentum, chains squeaking as she moved back and forth.

  “What do you want to talk about, Daddy? Am I in trouble?”

  “No, you’re not in trouble. I just wanted to ask you what you thought of Lara.”

  Clarissa smiled wide. “She’s amazing! She’s so pretty and nice.”

  “I totally agree. What else do you like about her?”

  “I like that she helps me with my homework. And she never yells at me, which is nice.”

  “She is really sweet, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah!”

  “I have a question for you, baby, and I want you to answer honestly. Can you do that for me?”

  “Okay.”

  “How would you feel if Lara was around all the time?”

  “You mean like live with us?”

  “Yeah, sort of. You see, I really love Lara and I want to ask her to marry me. I just wanted to make sure that–”

  “Stop the swing!” Clarissa shrieked frantically.

  I grabbed hold of the chains and watched as Clarissa flailed her legs about, quickly coming to a full stop. She turned in her seat to look me in the eye.

  “Are you saying Lara’s going to be my new mommy?” She interrogated me with a level of focus I’d never before seen.

  “Well, your Mommy’s still your mommy. But in a way, yes. If I ask Lara to marry me and she says yes, she will technically be your step-mom.”

  She hopped off the swing and planted her two feet into the gravel, little rocks crunching beneath her steps. Clarissa placed her hands on her hips and scrutinized me from head to toe.

  “Will she make me brush my teeth?” she asked.

  “Probably. You should be brushing your teeth regardless.”

  “Will she tuck me in and read me stories?”

  “If you ask nicely, I’m sure she’d be happy to.”

  “One more question, Daddy.”

  “What is it, baby?”

  “Can I be the flower girl at the wedding?”

  I cracked a wide smile and laughed. “Of course, you can.”

  My daughter burst into a fit of laughter, throwing her hands up in the air as she danced in place. “Have you asked her yet? Can I ask her to marry you? When is she done school? Can we go pick her up? There’s an ice cream truck over there, can we go get ice cream?”

  I nodded, too happy to say no. “Okay, baby. We’ll go get some ice cream. Lara isn’t done with exams until after five, but we can take her out to a nice restaurant later. How does that sound?”

  “Are we going to McDonald’s?”

  I laughed, “Maybe something a little nicer than McDonald’s. I was thinking a steakhouse downtown. You can wear that pretty pink dress of yours.”

  Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? It’s so fancy!”

  “Sure. It’s a special occasion, after all.”

  “Is Lara going to get a ring?”

  “She sure is,” I confirmed, reaching into the inside pocket of my jacket to pull out the little ring box I’d been carrying around for a week. I’d been meaning to pop the question every time I saw Lara, but I knew I needed to talk to Clarissa before doing anything. I opened the ring box and held it in the flat of my palm, showing it off to my daughter. She gazed at it, wide-eyed.

  “Ooh,” she gasped. “It’s bigger than the one you gave Mommy.”

  “It is, but you can’t tell Mommy that, okay?”

  “If you buy me two scoops, I promise not to tell.”

  I smirked, reaching out to tousle her hair. “Alright, alright. I fear for your future partner.”

  “What?” she asked sweetly.

  “Nothing, baby.” I stood up and held my hand out to her, which she immediately took. “Let’s go get you some ice cream.”

  “And then we’re going to propose to Lara! Can I hold the ring when you ask?”

  “Sure thing, baby. Sure thing.”

  Epilogue

  Lara

  Nine Months Later

  As a reward for graduating at the top of my class, Chuck purchased a corner storefront for me to use in the middle of the downtown core. A nervous excitement brewing in my gut had me excited all morning, although I wasn’t sure if I was feeling this way because the baby could smell the fresh pastries from the bakery just next door. I patted my belly and giggled, noting the way the child had started to kick up a storm. “You’re a feisty little thing,” I mumbled to my stomach. “I have a feeling you’re going to get along with your sister very well.”

  The store was a cute little thing, the perfect size for my very first bookstore. The walls were made of red brick and the roof of dark wood. It gave the whole place an incredibly charming, rustic vibe. The perimeter walls of the store were stacked high with glass shelves, full of beautiful books, both old and new. I’d spent the better part of the morning organizing the shelves by double alphabetizing author’s last names. I took a deep breath and sighed, admiring my handiwork as I placed my hands on my lower back for support. A great deal of satisfaction rested on my chest, the kind of sensation you only ever got after a job well-done. The bookstore’s official opening day was scheduled for tomorrow, but there was already a great deal of buzz outside as people pressed their noses to the glass.

  To help promote the business, Chuck had arranged several writing work
shops throughout the week. Ever since the release of Winter Whispers, he was all the literary world could talk about. People had expressed interest in his writing classes and were coming from far and wide for the chance to learn from one of the most gifted writers of their generation. Everybody seemed to want a piece of him. Publishing houses kept blowing up our phone at home to see if he’d sign a book deal. Literary agents would send all sorts of goodies –flowers, expensive chocolates, rare book editions– in an attempt to woo Chuck over to their client lists. Fans would sometimes send mail directly to our house to express their love of Chuck’s work. It eventually got to the point where we decided it’d be safer if Chuck rented a PO Box so we didn’t wind up with overly ambitious super fans knocking on our door.

  I looked out through the store’s massive front window. Some people had even decided to bring tents and sleeping bags so they could be the first to enter tomorrow morning. They all knew that Chuck was going to be there, and there was no doubt in my mind that they wanted to get their hands on a signed copy of his latest New York Times Bestseller. I nervously fiddled with the gold wedding ring on my left hand, the cool metal grounding me in place. With the baby on the way and the store about to open, there were a lot of things up in the air that had me a little stressed out. I just wanted everything to be perfect, but I had to admit to myself that I was starting to feel stretched thin.

  I rubbed small circles into my stomach absentmindedly. It was a calming motion, one that reminded me this was all going to be worth it. I was going to get to be around books everyday for the rest of my life, run a successful business, and hopefully have my son keep the legacy alive. I spent a lot of time wondering what our baby boy was going to be like. Would he be studious and charming like his father? Would he be sweet and gentle like his mother? Would he pick up his half-sister’s mischievously cute ways and use them against his parents? Our son obviously didn’t have to take over the bookstore if he didn’t want to, it was just a nice thought to have. We could be an entire family of bookmen, dedicated to creating and preserving the written word.

  The back door to the storefront creaked open and immediately slammed shut. I nearly jumped out of my skin, startled by the sudden ruckus.

  “It’s just us,” said Chuck warmly as he rounded the corner.

  Clarissa was at his side holding a bright pink box of pastries from the shop next door. My mouth immediately began to water like a faucet left unchecked when I caught a whiff of the freshly glazed donuts hidden inside. Clarissa immediately skipped over to me and held it open. “Brought you something! Take your pick. Lemon one’s mine, though.”

  I giggled, “Thank you, sweetheart.” I plucked a chocolate éclair up and took a bite. It was so delicious that I wanted to breathe it all down, but I knew that would have been too embarrassing.

  Chuck took his place by my side and kissed me tenderly. “How was your day?” he asked.

  “It was really good, actually. I’m still waiting to hear back from the tech support guy about our debit machines not working, though.”

  “I can take care of that. You should honestly be home resting. The baby could pop out of you any minute.”

  Clarissa curled her face up and mumbled, “Eww.”

  I laughed, “It’s fine, honey. I’d much rather be here. I’ve been going stir crazy cooped up at home.”

  “Your due date is a week from now,” he protested. “I really should get you checked into the hospital.”

  I waved my hand dismissively. “You’re worrying for nothing. I promise that after the opening tomorrow, I’ll go take it easy until the baby arrives. Until then, there’s lots of work to do.”

  Clarissa looked up from her box of goodies, lemon tart already half eaten. “Have you come up with a name for my brother yet?”

  Chuck shook his head. “I’m afraid not, baby. We’ve narrowed down our list, but we still can’t agree on anything.”

  “I really like Jacob,” I said firmly.

  “And I really like Hemingway.”

  I rolled my eyes. “This again? Hemingway is a last name.”

  “Why can’t we make it a first? There are no rules when it comes to naming babies.”

  “How did you come up with my name?” asked Clarissa, eyes wide and innocent.

  Chuck wrapped an arm around behind my back and rested his hand on my hip. “Sandy and I named you after my grandmother. She was the one who encouraged me to write. Without her, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today.”

  Clarissa tilted her head to the side and stroked her chin. “Then I think you should name my brother the same way. Is there someone in Mama’s life who’s that special?”

  I smiled wide at Chuck. Clarissa had a very good point. When I thought back to almost a year and a half ago, my answer would have been different. I didn’t know what I was looking for back then, didn’t have a concrete path. I’d been wandering around aimlessly with the hopes that obtaining a degree would somehow open doors to brand new opportunities. But it had been Chuck who gave me a purpose, gave me a fresh outlook on life. He made colors more vibrant, smells and flavors more brilliant. He was everything to me, just as I assumed I was for him.

  “How about Charlie?” I asked softly.

  Chuck raised his eyebrows. “You want to name him after me?”

  “Charles Hill the Second,” I hummed. “It has a very nice ring to it. We’ll call him Charlie for short.”

  He cupped my face and kissed me, laughing happily as he did. “I really like that.”

  I smiled up at him, warm, and safe, and over the moon. “I’m so glad.”

  “Um,” interrupted Clarissa, “Mama?”

  “Yes, honey?”

  “Did you pee yourself?”

  I frowned. “What?”

  We all looked down to find a puddle of water spreading out across the floor. The legs of my maternity pants were completely soaked through. I looked to Chuck in surprise.

  “Is it–” he breathed, “Oh my God, did your water just break?”

  I sighed and grumbled, “I just polished the floors. Now I’ve got to mop it up and–”

  “Lara,” he stressed. “Hospital. The baby’s coming.”

  I finally snapped to, all the pieces coming rapidly together. “Oh my God, the baby’s coming!”

  Chuck took my hand and looked to his daughter. “Will you please get the back door for us, baby?”

  “Is my brother almost here?”

  Chuck nodded and laughed, “He sure is.”

  “Little Charlie Hill,” I hummed, voice a little shaky with an overflow of happiness. “This is really happening.”

  “I love you, Lara.”

  “I love you, too.”

  - THE END -

  Author’s Note

  Hello my lovely! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. I hope you have enjoyed reading this book as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. This one was so much fun to write!

  If you enjoyed this book, please help a girl out by leaving a short review on Amazon. It doesn’t even have to be long. Just take a few seconds to write a word or two about what you think about this book, and it will be such a big help!

  And if you don’t want to miss out on the next book in Temptation Next Door series, please click here now to follow me on BookBub.

  xoxo,

  Nicole

  Also By Nicole Casey

  All my books are either FREE or available in Kindle Unlimited!

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Captor (COMPLETED)

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  About the Author

  Nicole Casey is a Contemporary Romance Author born and based in The City of Angels. She writes steamy contemporary romance with a happily ever after.

  When she isn’t penning sultry scenes, Nicole Casey loves getting lost in her daydreams, going for long nighttime walks, and fine dining. She is also a red wine aficionada and bookworm. Above all, she enjoys nothing more than spending quality time with her loved ones in both human and cat form.

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